Missed my EDD phone interview - what happens during appeal process?
I completely messed up and missed my scheduled eligibility interview with EDD last Thursday (totally my fault - I got the dates confused and thought it was next week). Today I received a Notice of Determination in the mail saying I'm disqualified from benefits because I 'failed to participate'. The letter includes appeal instructions and a form to request an appeal hearing. I'm freaking out because I really need these benefits. Has anyone gone through the appeal process after missing an interview? Do I actually have to appear before a judge? How formal is this? I've never done anything like this before and I'm super anxious about the whole thing. How long does the appeal process usually take before they make a decision? Should I keep certifying for benefits during this time even though I'm disqualified? Any advice would be really appreciated.
24 comments


Freya Thomsen
Yes, you absolutely need to keep certifying for benefits during the appeal process! If you win your appeal, they'll only pay you for weeks you properly certified for. The appeal process typically takes 4-6 weeks before you get a hearing date, and then another 1-2 weeks for the decision after that. The hearing itself is pretty formal but not like a courtroom drama. It's usually conducted over the phone with an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), you, and sometimes an EDD representative. The judge will ask questions about why you missed the interview, and this is your chance to explain your situation. Make sure you mail that appeal form ASAP - you only have 30 days from the date on that determination notice to submit it! Also write a clear explanation of why you missed the call (honest mistake with the date) and that you're willing to participate in a new eligibility interview.
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NebulaNomad
•Thank you so much! I'm filling out the appeal form right now and will mail it tomorrow. Do you know if I need to include any supporting documents with my appeal form? I don't really have any "evidence" that I mixed up the dates, it was just an honest mistake.
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Omar Fawaz
I went thru EXACT same thing last yr!!! EDD is THE WORST about these phone interviews. I missed mine b/c they called from a different # than what was listed in the letter & I thought it was a spam call (my bad). DEFINITELY keep certifying every 2 weeks like normal - super important!!! The appeal hearing is over the phone not in person. Judge was actually pretty chill and understanding. Took about 8 wks from when I filed appeal till my hearing date tho - EDD is sooooo slow with everything!!!
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NebulaNomad
•Thanks for sharing your experience! It's reassuring to hear your judge was understanding. Did you get all your back pay after they decided in your favor? I'm worried about how to pay bills during these 8 weeks.
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Chloe Martin
make sure u read ur determination letter carefully...sometimes they give u option to reschedule missed interview instead of going thru whole appeal process. could save u a lot of time
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NebulaNomad
•Just double-checked my letter and it doesn't mention anything about rescheduling an interview, only the appeal process. But thanks for the suggestion!
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Diego Rojas
I had to go through an appeal hearing after missing my interview last year. The hearing itself lasted about 30 minutes. The Administrative Law Judge asked me questions about why I missed the interview, my work search efforts, and details about my last employment. Be honest about mixing up the dates - they understand human error happens. One thing I'd recommend is contacting EDD directly before your hearing date to see if they'll allow you to complete an eligibility interview to resolve the issue without waiting for the full appeal process. The standard appeal timeline can be lengthy (6-10 weeks), and if you can get someone on the phone, they sometimes have the authority to reschedule missed interviews. If you're having trouble getting through to EDD on the phone (which is likely), I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an EDD representative quickly. They have a video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. It was worth it to resolve my issue faster instead of waiting months for the appeal.
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NebulaNomad
•Thank you for the detailed information! I'll definitely try calling EDD first to see if they can reschedule the interview. I've tried calling a few times today but keep getting the "we're experiencing high call volume" message and it hangs up. I'll check out that Claimyr service - at this point I just want to talk to someone at EDD as quickly as possible.
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Anastasia Sokolov
The judges r very resonable if u just made an honest mistake. I missed my intrview bc my phone broke that day (just my luck lol) and the judge aproved my claim anyway after the hearing. Just be honest and dont make up crazy excuses. theyre used to hearing all kinds of stories
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StarSeeker
•This isn't always true. My cousin missed his interview because he was in the hospital (had actual medical documentation) and the judge still denied his appeal. Said he should have called beforehand to reschedule even though he was literally in emergency surgery. The whole system is arbitrary and depends which judge you get.
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NebulaNomad
•Thanks for sharing! I'm definitely planning to be completely honest about just mixing up the dates. I don't have any fancy excuse - just made a dumb mistake with my calendar. Hoping they'll be understanding!
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Sean O'Donnell
dont stress too much its not like a real court. i had my appeal hearing last month and the judge just called me at the scheduled time. asked a few questions about why i missed the interview and made me promise id answer any future interviews. got my backpay within a week after they approved me
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StarSeeker
Make absolutely sure you're submitting that appeal form within the 30-day deadline! That's the #1 reason appeals get rejected. And yes, as everyone has said, CONTINUE CERTIFYING even though your payments will show as disqualified. If your appeal is successful (which it likely will be for a simple missed interview), they'll release all those weeks at once. I recommend writing a short, concise statement explaining that you misunderstood the interview date, that you remain available for a new interview, and that you meet all eligibility requirements. Keep it brief and factual. The hearings are conducted by Administrative Law Judges, but they're not like criminal court - they're specifically trained to handle unemployment insurance cases. The formality level is like a business meeting, not a trial. Be prepared to answer questions about your availability for work, job search efforts, and why you're unemployed in the first place, as the judge may use this opportunity to establish your general eligibility.
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NebulaNomad
•Thank you for the advice! I'll keep my explanation simple and factual on the appeal form. Do you know if I'll receive any confirmation after I mail in my appeal form? I'm worried about it getting lost in the mail.
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Freya Thomsen
I just remembered another important tip - on your appeal form, check the box requesting an interpreter if you need one (sounds like you don't), AND check the box that says you want to review your case file before the hearing. This gives you access to see exactly what information the EDD has about your claim, which can be super helpful for preparing your statements. You have a legal right to see this information before your hearing!
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NebulaNomad
•That's really good to know! I wouldn't have thought to check that box. I'll definitely request to review my case file before the hearing. Thank you!
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Natasha Kuznetsova
I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago! Missed my interview because I wrote down the wrong time (they said 2 PM, I wrote 2:30 PM and missed the call). The appeal process was way less scary than I thought it would be. A few things that helped me: 1. I sent my appeal form via certified mail so I had proof EDD received it 2. During the hearing, the judge asked me to explain what happened, whether I was actively looking for work, and if I was available to work - pretty straightforward questions 3. The whole hearing took maybe 20 minutes, and the judge was actually pretty understanding about honest mistakes One thing nobody mentioned yet - make sure your phone is working properly and you have good reception on your hearing day! The judge will call you at the exact scheduled time and if you miss that call too, it's basically an automatic denial. I actually borrowed my neighbor's landline just to be extra sure. Got my decision letter about 10 days after the hearing saying my appeal was approved. All my back payments showed up in my account within a week after that. You'll get through this!
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StarSeeker
•This is super helpful, thank you! I never would have thought about using certified mail - that's a great idea to have proof they received it. And borrowing a landline for the hearing is brilliant too. I've been so worried about this whole process but hearing everyone's experiences is making me feel much more confident. Really appreciate you sharing all those practical tips!
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Cameron Black
One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - if you're really struggling financially while waiting for the appeal, you might want to look into local food banks or assistance programs in your area. The appeal process can take 2+ months, and even though you'll get backpay if you win, that doesn't help with immediate bills. Also, document EVERYTHING from now on - keep records of your job search activities, any communication attempts with EDD, etc. Having detailed records shows the judge you're taking this seriously and following all the requirements. I keep a simple spreadsheet with dates, companies I applied to, and any EDD-related calls or actions. The fact that you're being proactive about filing the appeal quickly and asking for advice shows you're handling this the right way. Most people who lose these appeals either miss the 30-day deadline or don't show up for their hearing. You've got this!
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Tyrone Hill
•Thank you so much for mentioning the financial assistance resources! I hadn't even thought about food banks or local programs, but you're absolutely right that 2+ months is a long time to wait when bills are due. I'll definitely look into what's available in my area. The spreadsheet idea is really smart too - I've been pretty disorganized with tracking my job applications, but this is a good wake-up call to get more systematic about it. I'll start documenting everything from today forward. Really appreciate all the encouragement! This whole situation has been so stressful, but reading everyone's experiences and advice is giving me hope that this will work out. Thank you for taking the time to share such practical suggestions!
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Isabella Santos
I missed my EDD interview about 2 years ago due to a family emergency (had to rush to the hospital with my mom) and went through the whole appeal process. Here's what I learned: The appeal hearing is way less intimidating than it sounds! It's just a phone call with an Administrative Law Judge who asks pretty basic questions - why you missed the interview, if you're available for work, your job search efforts, etc. The judge I had was actually really professional and fair. A few practical tips: - Write down your explanation ahead of time so you don't ramble during the hearing - Have your job search records handy in case they ask about it - Make sure you're in a quiet place with good phone reception for the call - The hearing usually lasts 15-30 minutes max Since you're being honest about just mixing up the dates (which happens to everyone!), you should be fine. Simple human error is way different from deliberately avoiding the interview. I got approved and received about 8 weeks of back pay once the decision came through. Keep your head up - this is definitely fixable!
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Liam Brown
•Thank you for sharing your experience! It's really reassuring to hear from someone who went through this successfully. Writing down my explanation beforehand is such a good idea - I tend to get nervous and forget what I wanted to say in situations like this. I'm sorry to hear about your mom's emergency, but I'm glad the judge was understanding about it. Your situation was way more serious than mine (I literally just mixed up dates on my calendar like an idiot), so hopefully they'll be reasonable about simple human error too. Did you have to wait long after the hearing for your decision letter? I'm trying to mentally prepare for the timeline since bills don't stop coming while I wait for this to get resolved.
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Amara Torres
Hey there! I just went through this same situation about 3 months ago - missed my EDD interview because I had COVID and was basically delirious with fever (completely spaced on the appointment). The whole process was way less terrifying than I built it up to be in my head. A few things that really helped me prepare: - I called the Appeals Office directly (not the main EDD number) about a week before my hearing to confirm the time and phone number they'd be calling from - I practiced explaining my situation out loud beforehand so I wouldn't stumble over my words - I made sure I had all my job search documentation organized just in case they asked The actual hearing was super straightforward - the judge asked why I missed the interview, confirmed I was looking for work and available to work, and asked a couple questions about my last job. The whole thing took maybe 20 minutes. Got my approval letter about 2 weeks later and all my back payments hit my account within a few days after that. Since you're being upfront about an honest mistake with the dates, I think you'll be totally fine. The judges deal with people who try to game the system all the time, so genuine human error is refreshing for them to hear! You've got this - just stay calm and be honest during the hearing!
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Margot Quinn
•Thank you so much for all the detailed advice! I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. Calling the Appeals Office directly to confirm the details is such a smart idea - I wouldn't have thought of that. I've been so focused on just getting the appeal form submitted that I hadn't considered the practical prep steps for the actual hearing. It's really encouraging to hear that the judges can tell the difference between honest mistakes and people trying to game the system. I've been beating myself up over this silly calendar mix-up, but hearing from everyone here that these things happen and the process is manageable is giving me so much more confidence. I'm definitely going to practice explaining what happened out loud beforehand - great suggestion! And I'll make sure to organize all my job search stuff just in case. Thank you again for the encouragement!
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